The roll out of the new health care program known as "Obamacare" begins in October, with enrollment from October 1, 2013 – March 31, 2014. This enrollment period is not to be confused with Medicare’s fall Open Enrollment which is October 15 – December 7, 2013. The beginning of any new federal program is an opportunity for confusion and for con artists to prey on consumers. … [Read more...] about Protect Yourself from Obamacare Scams this Fall
How Does Covered California™ Affect People with Medicare?
Soon you’ll start to hear about Covered California™, our state’s insurance marketplace, and wonder if you need to buy insurance. If you have Medicare, the answer is no. The marketplace, also called health benefit exchange, is an implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Its aim is to ensure Americans with no health insurance have access to affordable coverage. Enrollment … [Read more...] about How Does Covered California™ Affect People with Medicare?
What Will Your Medicare Cost in the Future?
With the federal budget reduction looming, politicians are looking for ways to cut spending and many of them have their eyes on Medicare. To help understand how Medicare beneficiaries might be affected, we describe several proposed changes. We also explain commonly used terms and phrases and the effect these changes may have on beneficiaries. It’s important to remember that … [Read more...] about What Will Your Medicare Cost in the Future?
Learn the Facts versus Fiction on the Affordable Care Act ~ Be an Informed Consumer
With the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the GOP’s continued call to repeal the ACA (see blog article), and the current political debates with the upcoming election, a slew of both facts and fiction are being thrown to the public. Most people have no clear way to discern what is true and what is false, and fraudsters, … [Read more...] about Learn the Facts versus Fiction on the Affordable Care Act ~ Be an Informed Consumer
NAIC’s Team of Consumer Reps Announce Recommendations for Implementing Health Care Reforms
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) committee of consumer representatives just published their recommendations for the ongoing implementation of comprehensive insurance reforms called for by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. These recommendations were crafted from the perspective of consumer advocates regarding the appropriate standards and … [Read more...] about NAIC’s Team of Consumer Reps Announce Recommendations for Implementing Health Care Reforms